Naturalization, petition for hearing of denial

Federal civil · Immigration · 4,715 cases filed and closed (1988–present).

4,715

Cases filed

91.2%

Ended before a merits judgment

4,302 of 4,715 cases

11.1%

Plaintiff win

of 413 merits judgments

74.3%

Defendant win

of merits judgments

Most cases never reach a ruling on the merits. Of 4,715 filed, 91.2% closed without one — settled, dismissed, transferred, or remanded. The win rates above describe only the 413 that a judge actually decided.

How they closed

Dismissed56.4%
Settled14.1%
Remanded13.6%
Defendant win6.5%
Other4%
Transferred3%
Plaintiff win1%
Decided — other0.7%
Mixed0.6%
Denied0.1%
Affirmed0.1%

Where you file matters

The same claim resolves differently across districts. Plaintiff-win rate among merits judgments, busiest courts first.

Read the law behind naturalization, petition for hearing of denial

Source: FJC Integrated Database (public domain), via CourtListener — federal civil cases filed and terminated, 1988–present. Figures are descriptive statistics about how cases of a given type have closed in a given court. They describe the historical record — not a prediction or assessment of any specific case. Not legal advice.